You Love Me Anyway
by swanqueenwhispers
Summary: One Shot .. Regina is pregnant, a caring Emma ..


**A.N. **_This one shot is based off of a prompt that was given to me .. _'Regina is pregnant, a caring Emma .. ' _I adored writing this one .. I kind of got swept away to swan queen land for awhile .. and it was a majestic and beautiful place. _ ***sighs***

~sqsqsqsq~

Regina shifts uncomfortably on her side of the bed. She glances down and smiles softly to herself, as her eyes take in Emma's hand gently placed on her stomach. Yes, even in sleep, the younger woman's protective streak seeps through.

She lays her hand over Emma's and begins to run her thumb over the smooth skin of her Savior.

A warmth spreads through the older woman, a heat that flows like a river all through her, until she feels it land softly inside her heart, and yes, dare she say, even her soul. She watches as the shadows from a full moon dance patterns along Emma's soft features. She listens contently to the sound of her wife's light breathing and can only hope she is having sweet dreams.

A sudden jolt of discomfort hits her lower back and she sighs in frustration. She loves being pregnant. The joy she feels from the anticipation of welcoming this child, their child, is overwhelming but the back pain needs to go.

The swollen feet and the pressure on her bladder can go too, she muses.

She sighs once more out of pure frustration before she rolls onto her side. She hates putting her back to Emma. One of the things she will never take for granted after their baby is born, is being able to cuddle up alongside her wife.

As if Emma can read her thoughts, she is suddenly pressed up against the blonde, her back feeling the heat radiating from Emma's body, as the blonde pulls her closer still, and wraps a protective arm around her waist.

The brunette closes her eyes as Emma's breath tickles along the back of her neck, soft lips graze a trail to her shoulder and she knows Emma is awake.

"Hello, Emma .. "

"Hmm, hello, Regina .. " Emma's lips seek hers and Regina turns to welcome the kiss. A kiss that begins soft and light but deepens to want and desire within moments.

~sqsqsqsq~

Emma is smiling, a smile, that could quite possibly, light up the darkened bedroom. She is laying in her wife's arms and it is by far, her most favorite place to be. She sighs softly, as Regina runs fingers through her hair. She dips her face and places gentle kisses along Regina's belly.

"Hello, little one .. " She whispers.

~sqsqsqsq~

The next night finds Regina in the same predicament. She can't sleep due to the pain invading her lower back. This time Emma isn't home to comfort her though. A fact she is beyond annoyed with, leave it to David to fall ill at this unfortunate time, leaving Emma to fill the night shift.

She chucks the book she was trying to use as a distraction away from her. She folds her arms over her chest and despite the adult in her, begins to pout. She misses her wife. She glances over at the empty side of the bed and proceeds to scream into her pillow at the injustice of it all.

When she lowers the pillow, she sees Emma standing in the doorway, eyes filled with alarm.

"Um .. are you okay?"

Regina can't help the slight burn she feels along her cheeks as she stiffly replies, "I'm fine."

Emma takes a tentative step into the bedroom and begins to peel off her jacket.

"Are we having a bad night?"

Regina answers with a glare.

"Oh-kay .. guess I'll take that as a yes." She gathers her night wear and backs slowly to the bathroom door.

"I'm gonna take a shower then one kick ass back rub coming up." Emma goes to turn but the sound of stifled sobbing stops her. She turns quickly to see a line of tears cascading down her wife's face.

She is at her side in an instant. "Regina, are you okay? Is it - "

Regina buries her face into Emma's neck, as her body shakes with muffled crying. She is embarrassed for her uncontrollable hormones, something else she can add to the mental list of things she can do without, while pregnant.

"Regina?" Emma's concerned voice floods her thoughts and she pulls back to catch her wife's fearful eyes.

"I miss .. I miss taking showers with you." She quickly averts her gaze and pretends smoothing out the bed covers is of high importance.

Emma grabs her hands and clasps them in her own. She leans forward until her forehead is pressed against Regina's, their breath ghost along the others lips for a moment until Emma's voice chimes, "I miss that too .. come on, join me." She tugs gently on Regina's hands but the stubborn brunette pulls away.

"I can't now .. not until after .. I'm .. that lighting is horrible in there and I have _stretch marks,_ Emma! I'm - "

"You're beautiful, Regina."

The older woman scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Don't patronize me, Emma Swan Mills."

Emma throws her hands up in frustration. "Fine, sit here and sulk .. I'm jumping in the shower, I hope you change your mind because I love you and you ARE _beautiful_." She leans down and quickly captures Regina's lips with her own.

"And no rolling your eyes at me." Regina looks up to see a playful glint dancing amid sea green.

She listens, as the water starts to chatter, and she can hear Emma begin to sing a familiar tune. It is one of the songs they had danced to at their wedding. She sits on the bed for another minute, listening to her wife's sweet voice echo against the shower walls. 'S_o here i am, with open arms, hoping you'll see what your love means to me ..open arms. '_ The lyrics call to her like a magnet and pull her to where she belongs, with Emma.

~sqsqsqsq~

The following night is a mirror of the other two. Regina wakes up to the lower back pain but also to an undeniable craving. She looks over at her sleeping wife and feels slightly guilty. Just a little. She glides her hand swiftly up and under Emma's pajama top, only stopping when she gently cups the familiar breast. She begins to run a trail of soft kisses along the blonde's exposed neck.

Emma shifts under the pleasure and moans softly as Regina's thigh moves between her legs.

"Mm .. hello, Regina .. "

"Hello, Emma .. " She slips her thigh away and Emma immediately frowns at the loss.

"Are you awake?"

"Um .. yea, you saw to that." The blonde chuckles as she turns to claim Regina's lips.

Regina moves away from the kiss and turns on the bedside lamp.

"Good, I want ice cream."

Emma widens her eyes despite the slight sting it brings to them from the freshly lighted room.

"What?!"

"I'm craving ice cream, dear."

Emma steals a glance to the alarm clock. The numbers 3:20 glares back at her.

"Regina, you've got to be kidding me." She points to the clock.

Regina puts her bottom lip out in a move that she knows will get her anything her heart desires from her wife.

Emma takes one look at the lip and kicks the covers off.

Regina grins as she watches her wife go around the room, putting back on her discarded clothes as she finds them.

Emma sits on the edge of the bed to slip on her boots. "Okay, what kind of ice cream do you want?"

"Surprise me."

Emma turns around and glares at her wife. "Nuh uh .. not gonna happen. The last time you said that, I brought home chocolate fudge and you told me chocolate was making you nauseous so I had to go back out, in the pouring rain mind you, and get you vanilla bean, do you remember that?"

Regina narrows her eyes and nods her head.

"And do you remember what happened when I got back with the vanilla bean?" Emma stands and crosses her arms over her chest. She watches as Regina pretends to pick imaginary lint off of the bed sheet.

"You took one bite of the vanilla and said you can't eat vanilla ice cream without chocolate syrup but since chocolate was making you nauseous, you then wanted strawberry ice cream."

Emma stops talking and taps her foot in annoyance until Regina looks up at her.

"You love me anyway." Regina smiles up at her and Emma feels her heart melt.

She bends down and kisses her forehead. "That I do. What kind do you want?"

Regina ponders this for a minute, until she finds a conclusive decision.

"Black Raspberry."

"Okay, I'll be quick, and it's a good thing I was granted a spare key to the diner, ya know."

Emma makes it to the bedroom door before Regina's voice stops her.

"Oh, don't forget the whip cream, dear."

Emma turns around, her face full of surprise. "You don't like whip cream on your ice cream."

Regina leans back on her pillow and her brown eyes dance with mischief as they meet Emma's.

"It's not for the ice cream, darling."

**~sqsqsqsq~**

**A.N. **_The song Emma was singing is, _Open Arms by Journey. _Such a sweet ballad and in my head space, I can see them dancing to this song at their wedding. _


End file.
